Birthday Girl
by Moonsway
Summary: Just a little story about Daryl and Beth. I got the idea when Beth was upset that Daryl left the group. So, I'm changing the rating, because chapter 3 gets explicit. Don't read if you don't like that kind of story.
1. Chapter 1

Birthday Girl

Daryl was startled awake and pushed the body off of him. He was reaching for his crossbow before he realized who was there. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hush," Beth whispered. "You'll wake the others." She scrambled to her feet and stepped toward him.

"What's going on," Daryl whispered, too. "What are you doing here?"

"I want you." She sat down on the cot beside him.

Daryl was sure that he hadn't heard her right. "What?"

"I want you, Daryl. I think about you all the time, especially at night. I think about you touching me."

He was shocked. "Uh, listen kid—"

Beth interrupted him. "I'm not a kid. I'm eighteen now. Today was my birthday, not that anybody remembered. Can't blame them with everything that's been going on, but I've been keeping track, counting down the days."

"Oh. Well, uh, Happy Birthday then." Daryl wondered if he was having some kind of bizarre dream.

"Thanks. So, I'm an adult now, just like you."

"Congratulations. Now you need to go back to your own bed and let me get some sleep." She was sitting way too close to him, and he needed her to leave.

"I want you to make me a woman," Beth whispered in his ear and put her hand on his knee.

What had gotten into the girl? She had been sweet and demure, but now she was aggressively trying to seduce him. He pushed her hand away. "You have to go. If your dad finds you here…"

"He won't. Don't worry, everybody's asleep."

"You still have to go," Daryl said.

"Please," Beth pleaded. "I don't want to die a virgin."

"Why me?" He was asking himself the question aloud, but she answered him.

"When you went away, I thought I'd lost you, too. With Jimmy I waited, because I thought we'd have more time. Even after everything started, I was waiting for the perfect time. I never felt ready. But with you, it's different. I feel ready, and I can hardly wait, I want you so much."

Daryl would have been less nervous if he had been surrounded by walkers. "I'm too old for you."

"There's nobody else. I've thought about it, and I would still want you even if there were guys my age here. I've never been this attracted to anyone before."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do what you're asking me to." Please let her leave now, he thought.

"Then give me a kiss." Beth touched his arm.

"A kiss?"

"For my birthday. It's the only present I want."

He should just throw her out. "Then you'll leave?"

"Yes, but it has to be a real kiss on the lips, not a peck on the cheek."

Why was he negotiating with her? "Okay, but that's it. Just one kiss."

Beth leaned toward him, and he decided to stop arguing and get it over with. She was young, and her lips were so soft. Once the kiss began, he didn't want it to end. It had been a long time since he had been with a woman. That part of him had remained dormant with the fight for survival, but now he came alive with desire. He deepened the kiss as she responded to him. It took him a minute to realize where her hand was. He stifled a moan and broke away from their kiss.

"You have to go."

"No," Beth said. "You want me, too. I could feel it."

"We had a deal. Now get out of here."

"Let me stay just a little longer. I promise I'll behave. I had a nightmare, and I don't want to go back to sleep. I feel safer with you. Please? It's my birthday."

"Okay, but keep your hands to yourself." He allowed her to lie beside him on the cot as he made room for her by rolling onto his side with his back against the wall. Despite what she had said, she was soon asleep. He didn't have the heart to wake her and make her go back to her own cell.

He wasn't going to get anymore sleep tonight anyway. She had been just a kid to him until she had put these thoughts in his head. I think about you touching me, she had said. Now, as she snuggled against him with her feminine curves, it was all he could think about.

"Aw, hell," Daryl muttered.

He heard Merle laugh quietly in the next cell, and he knew that his brother had heard the whole thing. Glad you're amused by my predicament, he thought, directing his frustration toward him. Merle would never let him forget this—as if he could.


	2. Supply Run

Supply Run

Daryl should have known when Merle stayed relatively quiet on the subject, that his brother had figured out a different way to mess with him about Beth. This morning, he had been about to wake her when Rick happened to walk by and see them.

"She had a nightmare," Daryl explained.

Rick merely raised his eyebrows as Merle laughed again, louder this time. Beth stirred and opened her eyes. She seemed startled to see him at first, and then she blushed as realization dawned on her as to why she was in his bed. He was grateful for Rick's presence, because he had an overwhelming urge to kiss her again, and he wasn't sure he would have been able to resist if he had been alone with her.

"Heard you had a nightmare," Rick said.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yes." She was back to being the shy girl he'd known since the farm. "Thanks," she said to the floor and walked out of his cell.

"It was his pleasure," Merle called from the next cell.

Rick fixed his cop stare on Daryl.

"She's eighteen," he blurted. Damn, he sounded guilty. "It was her birthday yesterday."

"Mighty convenient," added Merle, who was now standing next to Rick and smirking at Daryl.

Rick looked back and forth between the brothers. He shrugged. "It's your funeral."

After he left, Daryl resigned himself to listening to Merle's smart-ass comments, but his brother surprised him.

"Lucky bastard," was all he said.

All he had to do now was stay away from her. Hopefully, she would be too embarrassed to make another move on him. It was too bad that none of the young men had survived when Woodbury had been overrun by walkers. Beth surely would have had her pick of them. He felt for her, but he wasn't the solution to her problems.

Now that he was aware of her, he kept feeling her eyes on him during breakfast. Every time he would look toward her, she would look away. He vowed to ignore her, but his eyes kept seeking her out. He needed to get away from her and do something to keep his mind occupied with something besides thoughts of her.

Beth, herself, provided just the task. "We're going to need more formula soon."

"I'll go," Daryl immediately volunteered.

"I'll go with you," she answered just as fast.

"I don't know," Hershel began to speak.

Merle's voice drowned him out. "That's a good idea. They can take the bike. She's light, and they can make good time."

Hershel wasn't convinced. "Maybe Maggie—"

"No! Stop treating me like a baby. I'm eighteen now, so I'm grown up."

Everyone except Daryl was surprised by Beth's outburst. He had seen a more passionate side to her last night. Last night—he couldn't allow his thoughts to go there.

Maggie was the first to respond to what Beth had said. "You're eighteen?"

"Yesterday was my birthday. I've been keeping track of the months and days."

"Oh, honey, why didn't you say anything?" Hershel stood up and made his way toward his youngest daughter.

"I'm not a little girl anymore to make a fuss about my birthday. I just want everyone to know that I'm not a kid, is all." She spoke the words firmly, but she still glowed with pleasure as the group all wished her a happy birthday and gave her hugs. Merle didn't hug anyone, and Daryl hung back, too. Michone went as far as patting her on the back.

Beth then looked directly at Daryl. "Ready to go?"

Hershel was still trying to talk her out of it. "Honey, you don't have to prove anything to anyone."

"Coddling her wouldn't have been a good idea before the walkers. Now, it could be deadly. She has to find her strength." Michone so rarely spoke, that when she did, everyone listened to what she had to say.

"Michone is right." Merle's tendency to mess with Daryl must have briefly overpowered his fear of Michone. Daryl knew that his brother was afraid of her, though he would die before he admitted it to anyone. Her eyes just barely flicked toward him, and Merle fell silent.

"Don't worry. Daryl will take good care of her."

He couldn't believe it. Rick was the last person he would have expected to torture him about Beth. They were all ganging up on him. He scowled at Rick, and he looked away, but not before Daryl saw an amused smile on his face. There was no argument he could put up, since they had all agreed that no one would go anywhere alone.

"So, Beth finally got her nerve up to make a move on you." Michone had found a moment to speak to him alone as he prepared to leave.

He was surprised. "She told you?"

Michone smiled. "Men are so blind. She didn't have to tell me anything."

He wondered briefly which man Michone had set her sights on. If he hadn't been able to see Beth's infatuation with him, he certainly wasn't going to glean anything from Michone's mostly unreadable expressions. "She's got the wrong idea."

Michone just looked at him without saying anything. He had the feeling that she could see right through him. She had an eerie way of studying people all the time. "She caught me off guard," he said defensively.

"I'm not judging you," she said. "I think it's kind of cute, actually."

Now even the Terminator chick was messing with him. "Well, it's not," he said irritably. "She'll get the hint and leave me alone."

"Good luck with that," she said in one final parting shot.

Women! His thoughts were interrupted by his next unexpected visitor.

"I have a rather delicate request," Milton said. "I know it's unlikely, but if you happen to find any condoms…" he trailed off.

Daryl was amused for the first time that day. "Who's the lucky lady?"

Milton looked him straight in the eye. "I won't ask you about your love life if you don't ask me about mine."

Daryl sobered. "Sure, I'll see what I can do." The man came off as soft at first, but he was learning that Milton wasn't quite the wimp he had believed him to be.

It was when Hershel was saying goodbye to them that Daryl felt the most uncomfortable. "Bring her back safe."

"I will." He could barely look the man in the face.

"Bye, Daddy. See you later." Beth got on the bike behind him and wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist.

Then it was just the two of them and the open road. He had always loved riding the bike, the way it made him feel free and alive. Now, he felt a little too alive with Beth's body pressed against him. His thoughts kept straying to the things she had said to him last night. He came to a stop in a neighborhood that appeared to be deserted. When he saw the look on her face, it was almost too much for him. Last night in the darkness, he hadn't been able to see her expression very well. The way she was looking at him now left no doubt as to her desire for him.

"Stay alert," he commanded.

They had no luck until they found the mother lode in the fifth house they entered. Daryl had a good feeling when he saw the dining room table covered with coupons.

"Wow," Beth said in awe as they stood surveying the contents of the basement.

There were goods of all kinds. Best of all were the rows and rows of jars filled with preserves. Whoever had lived here had been into both buying in bulk and home-canning.

"There it is!" Beth went excitedly over to the baby formula.

Daryl wandered around, scanning through all the different items. There was such an assortment of things, that they must have been the kind of shoppers who bought whatever was on sale. In a day full of surprises, he was surprised again when he actually did find condoms. He picked up a box.

"Good thinking," Beth said.

He turned to look at her. "They're not for me."

It was, of course, the lamest excuse of all lame excuses. He could tell that she didn't believe him. As she stood watching him, he did what he had wanted to do all day. He set down the box and pulled her toward him into a deep, hungry kiss. She was breathless when he pulled away from her.

"C'mon," he said, his voice not quite steady. "We don't want to get trapped down here." He put the condoms into a separate pocket of her backpack, away from the formula. He didn't need anymore speculation on his situation with Beth. "I'll get these later.

"I'll bring them to you," she said.

"I'll come back in the truck with Glenn and Tyrese to get the rest of this stuff."

As they left the house and took off on the bike, Daryl told himself that he was going to give all the condoms to Milton.

Notes:

If you noticed that I am veering far from what is happening on the show, that is deliberate. Things have gotten way too dark for me, and I'm escaping into a romance-friendly version of Walking Dead. I know that Milton's chances for surviving this season are not good, but I've grown very fond of him, and I'm keeping him alive.

Thank you to all the guests who reviewed, since I didn't get to thank you personally. A special thanks to Pass The Porn Tea for giving me the idea for Beth to ride on Daryl's bike.

I wasn't planning to write a second chapter, but your unexpected requests for more encouraged me to give it a try. I hope I didn't disappoint you, but please be honest if I did. I appreciate honest feedback.


	3. Chapter 3

Setting The Mood

She found him in the RV. He had gone there to escape from her, hoping that she would give up for tonight when she didn't find him in his cell. He should have known better.

"What are you doing in here?" Beth walked inside and closed the door. "Oh, wow, it smells nice."

Among the variety of items they had found at the coupon house, which is how Daryl now thought of it, were many scented candles. This one was vanilla.

Before he could be embarrassed for doing something so girly, Beth looked at him with romance in her eyes. "You really do think of everything." She handed him the box of condoms. "Here. I brought them for you."

He took them and stepped away from her. "Told you they ain't for me."

Unlike Dale's RV, this was a modern, expensive model. They had found it on one of their supply runs and parked it in the prison yard. It used a lot of gas, so they didn't drive it around, but they had kept it just in case. They were starting to accumulate things, just like any family. Daryl liked to come out here sometimes when he wanted to be by himself.

"Who are they for, then? Not for Glenn after the news we got today."

Their only married couple, Glenn and Maggie, had announced at dinner that they were expecting a baby. The group had already been celebrating Beth's birthday, due to Carol's planning while Daryl and Beth had been on their supply run, so they had added congratulations for the couple into their revelry.

"Can't tell. None of your business anyway." He was hoping his brusque manner would make her leave.

She put her hand on his arm. "Why are you fighting it? I know you want me."

He had not been able to think about anything else since last night when she had woken him up in his cell to tell him that she wanted him. Beth was distracted by the sound of the box of condoms dropping to the floor. He pushed her up against the wall and ground his pelvis into hers. "This what you want?"

"Yes," she moaned.

He had meant to scare her and make her run away from him. Even after her aggression last night, he hadn't expected this response from her. He figured she would back down when he called her bluff. Instead, she kissed him with a hunger that matched his own.

He couldn't make himself pull away from her this time. After awhile, he moved from her lips to kiss her neck and trail kisses down her throat. His hand touched her breast through her shirt. She moaned again and pulled back from him long enough to pull her shirt up over her head and drop it on the floor. He kissed her again with passionate intensity. Then he caressed her nipple with his thumb while he lightly kissed the skin that was exposed just above her bra. He reached behind her to unhook it and pulled the straps down her shoulders and slipped it off her arms.

He stopped a moment to look at her. He took her hand and led her to the bed, kissing her again before he sat down with her. When he began to lick and suck on her nipples, she fell back moaning.

"Daryl, I want you."

He looked at her flushed face and her blue eyes darkened by desire. "How far did you go with your—"

"This is as far as we got."

He sat up, suddenly remembering that he wasn't supposed to be doing this. She was too sweet and innocent for him. "You gotta go now."

"No. Don't stop. Touch me, Daryl." She took his hand and put it between her legs.

I think about you touching me, she had told him last night. When he hadn't been looking, she had undone her jeans. His hand was now touching her through her panties. He had been about to pull it away, but he felt her moistness there and was consumed by passion again. He pulled her jeans down and kissed her quivering stomach. His lips worked their way to her thighs. Then he pulled her panties off.

"I'm ready now," she said. She was trembling with nervous excitement and fear.

"Slow down." He ran his eyes over her naked body. Then he knelt on the floor in front of her and pulled her legs apart. He began to kiss and lick her thighs, eliciting more moans from her. When his tongue licked her center, she gasped and tried to sit up, but he held her down.

"What are you doing?" She looked embarrassed for the first time since she had started her seduction of him.

"Relax, baby." He went back to what he was doing, intoxicated by the taste and smell of her.

"Oh, no, I can't." She squirmed in his grasp. Then she fell back weakly. "Oh, oh, oh!"

Her moans fueled his passion. As he brought her closer to the brink, he could feel her trying to push herself into him. "Ah, ah, please, yes!"

She screamed when she came. Then she lay spent as he came up to lie beside her. She looked at him. "That was, that was…"

He smiled. "Great will do."

"I never knew it could be like that. It's better than I ever imagined it would be."

He was shocked again. "You mean you ain't never had an orgasm."

"I told you, I'm a virgin." She looked away shyly.

"Ain't you never played with yourself?"

It was her turn to be shocked. "Of course not!"

"Ain't like it's a crime." He was distracted again by the sight of her lovely body.

She took a breath. "Now you can, um, you know…"

"Not tonight. I got business to take care of."

Beth was surprised. "You're not going to—"

"C'mon, get dressed." He stood up and began picking up her clothes. She was much too tempting, and he needed to get her out of here before he gave in to his desire.

Daryl walked her back to the door of the prison. "Get some sleep."

"Aren't you coming in?"

"In a bit." He began to turn away.

"Goodnight," she called after him.

He faced her and smiled. "Yeah, it was. Very good."

The door closed behind her as he walked off into the darkness and found the spot where he usually relieved himself. He had to take care of his own business first. What was he going to do with her? She had him acting like a damn schoolboy, jerking off by his lonesome. After he was done, he went back into the RV to retrieve the box of condoms. He took a few out and put them in his pocket. Then he went to give the rest to Milton.

"You actually found them." Milton noted the open box, but made no mention of it.

"What do you have there?"

Daryl was startled. He hadn't noticed Michone approach. What was really strange was that Milton didn't seem surprised by her presence.

"Thank you," Milton said.

"Goodnight," said Michone.

Daryl walked down the corridor and out of sight. "Well, I'll be damned," he said to himself.

Notes:

Thank you again to everyone that reviewed the first two chapters. I wasn't expecting to get to this point between Daryl and Beth so soon, but I had this dream…


	4. More

More

Daryl didn't know how much longer he could hold out. It had been three weeks since he and Beth had started fooling around. Three weeks of having her, but not having her. After that first night in the RV, it had become their regular place to sneak away to every night. After several nights of accepting the pleasure he gave her, she had insisted that she wanted to see him naked, too.

She ran her hands over his chest. He tried to touch her, but she swatted his hand away. "My turn."

Her eyes fell to the evidence of his arousal, and he held his breath. At her first tentative touch, he couldn't hold back a moan. Slowly, her hand explored him as his breathing became shallow.

"Tell me how," she said.

He showed her the way to stroke him. He didn't last long that first time, because he had been fantasizing about her touch for days. After he came, he tried to reach for a paper towel—more bounty from the coupon house—but she kissed him passionately.

He smiled at her when they broke the kiss. "Your turn. Let me just clean up."

"No, not tonight. I want to go to sleep thinking about this. I loved seeing you like that, hearing you like that. It was so—so sexy!"

He awoke before dawn, thinking about what she had said to him. He went to find his release again before the others got up. Even then, it was hard not to get excited when she caught his eye during the day. He tried to avoid looking at her as much as he could, and he threw himself into any tasks he could find.

It took four days for them to empty the coupon house. They had found more stuff upstairs and in the garage. They were pretty well stocked for awhile. Daryl still had the condoms he had taken out of the box he had given to Milton. They had found six more boxes in that house and had brought them back with the rest of the supplies. It had led to much joking between the guys.

"You got your eye on anyone?" Tyrese asked him.

"He's got more than his eye on her. Don't you, little brother?"

Daryl stared daggers at Merle. "Shut up."

"You have a girlfriend?" Tyrese asked in surprise. "Who is it?"

"No," Daryl said. "He's just talking shit."

He didn't know what she was to him. He kept telling himself that he was going to stop what he was doing with her, but he found himself looking forward to the night. He couldn't wait to be alone with her. The problem was that it was never enough. He always wanted more, and so did she. She was urging him to take her completely, and it was getting harder and harder to resist.

People, he realized. He saw people approaching the prison gates. They hadn't seen another person for months, but now he counted seven people walking, not shuffling, and they carried weapons.

"Hey," he called to Andrea. "Get Rick now!"

Notes:

I've been writing this chapter by chapter as it came to me, but now I actually have an idea where I'm going with this story.

Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, or is following this story. I have never gotten this big of a response for anything else I've written. You guys have encouraged me to keep going with this with your requests for more. That's part of the reason I named this chapter More. Without you, there would have been only one chapter.


	5. Lies

Lies

The new group was settling in nicely. It had been two days since they had found the prison. After the mistake that Rick had made with Tyrese's group, he was more open to giving people a chance. Tyrese had actually been the one to kill the governor after he discovered the man was planning to slaughter Rick's entire group, including the women and children. He and his sister had made it out of Woodbury alive, but the other two members of his group hadn't.

They had put this group in another cell block, and they had somebody on watch all the time again until they were sure the new people could be trusted. So far, they seemed grateful and eager to fit in. There were four men, two women, and a girl of fourteen. Carl was already smitten with the girl, Sarah. Her brother was one of the four men. He was nineteen years old. Their parents hadn't survived, but two neighbors had. They had banded together and picked up a few more along the way.

"Looks like Carl's got a new girlfriend. Are you jealous?" Daryl teased Beth.

She smiled. "Aren't they cute? He was actually the one I was most worried about. Now I won't have to break his heart." She gave him that look that always made his heart start beating fast. "I miss you."

They hadn't been able to sneak away together since this constant watch began. He literally ached for her, but he had decided that now was the perfect time to end it. "Look, Beth, me and you. It ain't right."

"I can't stand not being with you," she exclaimed. "I don't want to keep it a secret anymore." She took his hand. "I think we should tell them we're together."

He snatched his hand back. "You saying Carl was the one you was worried about. What about your family? What you think they're gonna say?"

"Daddy wasn't happy about Glenn at first, but now he loves him. And Maggie has already accepted it."

"What?"

She kept her gaze steady on him. "I went to her for advice. I was so confused. You act like you want me, but then you won't, you know. She said it means that you care about me, and it will happen when the time is right."

"Well, that's just great! If Maggie knows, then Glenn knows, and that means everybody knows. You know he can't keep a secret." Daryl was in her face now, but she didn't back down.

"So what if they do? Why does it have to be a secret?"

He looked away from her blue eyes and got control of himself. "You got more options now."

"Options?"

"All those men are younger than me, and Tyler is the right age for you."

She stared at him. "Do you really want me to be with someone else?"

"We had a little fun, but I ain't done nothing that means you're mine."

"Don't you like me?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper now.

The hurt look on her face made him want to comfort her, but he knew he was doing the best thing for her. "You're a good-looking woman, and a man's got needs. But this ain't no fairytale, and in case you ain't noticed I ain't no damn prince."

It killed him to see the tears in her eyes. He immediately wanted to take the words back, but he forced himself to be strong. He had to break this off clean. She turned on her heel and took off for the RV. He knew that she was going to cry.

Daryl swiped a hand over his eyes. Damn sun was in his eyes, he told himself.


	6. Broken

Broken

It had been only a week, but it felt like eternity. He hadn't realized how much Beth had brought him to life, and now he felt dead without her. She seemed to have gotten over him just fine after that first day when she had gone to bed without dinner, claiming a terrible headache.

Glenn had approached him that evening. "Dude—"

"Ain't none of your damn business," Daryl snapped.

"That's what Maggie said, but…"

"She did?" Daryl was surprised. "Well, she's a smart woman."

Now, as he pretended not to be watching Beth laugh with Tyler, he was in a foul mood and wished that Merle would leave him alone with his thoughts. Merle was watching him watch Beth while he prepared to rile him. Neither brother noticed Hershel make his way quietly behind them in the darkness. They were sitting further back from the others, who were gathered around the campfire.

"You just gonna sit there while that boy's moving in on your territory?"

"Shut up," Daryl warned.

"Yep, looks like your little piece of ass done found herself a young buck. Whatsa matter? Ain't you been keeping her satisfied?" Merle was prepared for it when Daryl flew at him in a rage.

They got in some good punches before Rick and Tyrese pulled them apart.

"You shut your filthy mouth!" Daryl shouted.

Beth came running, followed by Tyler. "What's going on?"

Daryl stopped struggling against Rick's hold on him. His rage became a controlled fury, and his eyes narrowed. "You understand me brother?" he said in a tone of voice that Merle had never heard him use before.

Merle had to fight the impulse to take a step back. "Yeah," he said.

Daryl stalked off without another word.

"What happened?" Beth asked.

Merle looked at her thoughtfully and returned his gaze to Daryl's retreating form. "Yeah, little brother. I understand."

After they realized they weren't going to get any information out of Merle, the group dispersed. Hershel waited until he was alone with their black sheep. "I would warn you to never again say anything like that about my daughter, but I think Daryl has already done that."

"That he has." Merle looked at the ground and snorted. "Damn fool's gone soft."

"It happens to all of us sooner or later."

"Not to me," Merle boasted.

"Well," Hershel said with a wicked gleam in his eyes that reminded Merle the man hadn't always been a bible thumper. "Now you're just tempting fate."

Notes:

These are short, but that's how it's unfolding in my mind. To those of you who asked for feelings beyond the physical, I hope this satisfies.

Once again, thank you for all for your enthusiasm and encouragement!


	7. Games

Games

Beth wasn't sure when she had started falling in love with Daryl. It had happened during those months after they left the farm when he had protected her from walkers and taught her how to shoot a gun. She had wanted to die back at the farm, had wanted to give up, but Daryl never did. She had watched him do whatever needed to be done without complaining about being tired, or hungry, or cold. He was strong and capable and seemed to adapt to any situation. By the time they found the prison, she knew that she was in love with him.

Once they settled in and didn't constantly have to be on guard against walkers, she became aware of her physical attraction to him, too. She had dreams about kissing him, and she woke up yearning to experience it for real. It was frustrating that he didn't seem to be aware of her as a woman. She wondered if he was attracted to any other woman in their group, but she couldn't tell anything from watching him. Things might have gone on this way indefinitely if Daryl hadn't left with Merle. He wasn't gone long, but the governor attacked the prison and killed Axel.

Beth realized how close she had come to being killed, and that Daryl might never have made it back either. He and Merle had fought walkers out there alone. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she knew that would scare him away. So, she had gone to offer him sex. Before the world changed, her mother had repeatedly warned her that boys wanted only one thing. Maybe now that would work in her favor.

She hoped that once they began having sex, Daryl might begin to care for her a little. Either way, she wanted him. Everything she had told him that night in his cell had been the truth. She worried about dying a virgin, and she wanted him to be the one who took her virginity. She felt hot and feverish every time she thought about him touching her.

He had surprised her by resisting her advances, even though she could feel his arousal when she touched him. That first kiss with him had been much better than her dreams. The second one had set her whole body on fire. Then, what he had done to her in the RV was beyond anything she had ever imagined. The way he had responded to her when she touched him, though, was what she still thought about every night. The look on his face as his eyes closed in pleasure, and the low moans he had made as her hand stroked him were etched in her mind as the sexiest things she had ever seen and heard. She constantly wondered what it would be like if he was inside her.

She still burned for him, even though she was going along with Maggie's plan to make him jealous by pretending to be interested in Tyler. "Give him what he thinks he wants, and he won't be able to stand it," Maggie had said.

Beth wasn't sure if it was having any affect on Daryl at all. So far, he had only gotten into a fight with Merle, but she didn't see how that could have anything to do with her and Tyler.

She watched Tyler as he worked shirtless under the Georgia sun. That was something that Daryl would never do, and now she knew why. She had seen the scars on his back but hadn't dared to ask about them. Somebody had abused him terribly, probably his father, she thought. It made her sad to think of him going through that, especially as a child. Her own childhood had been wonderful with loving parents, and being adored as the baby of the family.

Tyler, with his golden blond hair and sky blue eyes, was the kind of boy Beth might have had a crush on in her former life of school, friends, parties, and dances. That was back when she had been a naïve young girl without any real problems in her life, back before she grew up and knew exactly what she wanted.

Carl walked by in animated conversation with Sarah. She envied him his uncomplicated puppy love. It would be nice to be able to openly show her feelings for Daryl in front of everybody. Did he have any feelings for her at all or was it just physical? What would she do if it turned out that he didn't care about her? Would she be able to move on and start a real relationship with Tyler? Right now, she couldn't imagine being so intimate with anyone but Daryl.

That evening, the moon was bright in the sky, and it illuminated the prison yard. Beth was on her way to relieve Daryl from watch. She heard the cell block door open, and Tyler came out and called to her.

"Hey," he said. "I know you're busy, but I just wanted to talk to you for a minute."

"Sure. Is something wrong?"

"No. In fact, these two weeks have been the best we've had since this whole thing started. I wanted to thank you for taking us in like you did. Not many people would have done that," he said.

"We know what it's like to be out there, and it's good to have more people here. There's strength in numbers." She smiled at him. "You're already helping with the work."

"We want to help in any way we can."

"We appreciate that. Well…"

"Sorry," he said. "I know you have to go. I better spit it out then. The truth is, I've got a crush on you. I know we haven't known each other long, and I don't know if you're interested in me, but I'd rather know if I have a chance with you."

Beth glanced involuntarily toward the guard tower then looked back at Tyler. "There's always a chance."

"Yeah?" He stepped closer to her. "You don't have a boyfriend?"

She stopped herself from looking toward the guard tower again. "No, I don't have a boyfriend."

He was gazing at her. "Screw it. You only live once. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, Beth."

"Goodnight." It had been barely more than a peck, but it felt wrong for her to be kissing anyone except Daryl. She also didn't like using people. Tyler seemed like a nice guy, and it was wrong to mislead him.

"Sorry I'm late," she said as she entered the guard tower.

"So, you like that guy?"

She met his gaze. Maggie had told her to be civil to him, but to show no emotion. As they stared at each other now, Beth knew that he could see her desire for him in her eyes. Her breaths came in short bursts as he walked quickly toward her.

"Beth," he said in a husky voice that thrilled her. Then his mouth came down on hers in a kiss that was very different from the one she had just shared with Tyler.


	8. Denial

Denial

Daryl kissed her urgently with all the pent-up passion that had been building within him for the past two weeks. The time apart had only increased his desire for her, and he wanted her desperately. He didn't come to his senses until she broke off the kiss and looked at him with happiness shining in her eyes.

"I knew you wanted us to be together, too."

Together. She wanted to tell everyone that they were together. He remembered that he had made a clean break with her, and now he had screwed that up by kissing her. She thought they were a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend, because that's the kind of thing young girls daydreamed about.

"Sorry," he said. "Shouldn't have done that."

She was upset again. "Why not?"

"Cause we ain't together!" He emphasized the last word. "I told you the way it was."

"Yes," she said. "Yes you did."

He realized that this was the first time he had ever seen her angry. Her blue eyes blazed at him with impressive intensity.

"You know what, Daryl? I do like Tyler, and what's more important is that he likes me. So, please keep your distance from now on."

He tried to think of something to say. "Beth—"

"I've got watch now. Goodnight." She turned away from him to scan the prison yard.

He stood looking at her, but she didn't turn back. "Goodnight," he finally said.

It wasn't, of course. None of his nights were good since he had been spending them apart from her. He couldn't seem to get back to the way he was before she had approached him in his cell on her birthday. It shouldn't bother him so much. Why couldn't he chalk it up to a good time and let it go?

He had practically told her that she belonged with Tyler. So why did seeing him kiss her make Daryl want to throw a rock at him? Even worse, why did he get a knot in his stomach when Beth said she liked the boy?

Daryl's sexual experience consisted of one-night-stands. He had never been with the same woman twice. He always had sex in the dark, because he didn't want to answer questions about his scars. If a woman felt his back and said something, he had a stock answer. "Wild night," he would joke.

How Beth had managed to break through his barriers, he didn't know. He had allowed her to see him naked in the candlelight. He had continued to be with her night after night. True, they hadn't had sex in the usual sense of the word. That was another first for Daryl. He had never given oral sex to any other woman. Until Beth, his only experience with it was watching it in porno movies. As soon as he saw her naked, though, he had wanted to give her this pleasure. To his surprise, he had found it to be more erotic than he had ever imagined it would be. Driving her wild like that was a huge turn on for him. He thought about it often when he pleasured himself.

He should never have started anything with her, but he couldn't bring himself to regret his time with her. He was only sorry that things had to end the way they had.

Notes:

Another short one, but I guess it's better than nothing.

Thank you again to everyone who reviewed, including all the guests. I am overwhelmed by your praise.


	9. Jealousy

Jealousy

Beth had been true to her word and left him alone in favor of Tyler. The boy had no problem with everyone knowing they were together. Daryl watched him hold her hand and pick flowers for her. It was so sweet that it was sickening.

Not that he cared. It was just that he was annoyed with the way everyone was watching him, speculating on his reaction to the new couple. Damn Glenn with his big mouth!

He was in such a bad mood lately that even Merle was avoiding him. Which was why he was surprised when Hershel approached him. He had been dreading this confrontation, and he had breathed a sigh of relief when the man had said nothing to him after the entire group had surely found out about him and Beth. He barely glanced at the man, so uncomfortable was he in his presence.

"Well, son, how long have you been in love with my daughter?"

This brought Daryl's head up to look Hershel in the eye. "What?"

"You heard me. Why don't you just go tell her instead of suffering in silence?"

Daryl didn't want to offend the man. "I ain't, I mean, uh. Why do you think that?"

Hershel chuckled. "You Dixons are a stubborn pair."

"What? Now you're saying Merle is, is—"

"It won't kill you to say it, Daryl. Love. It's a wonderful thing."

Daryl looked at Hershel warily, wondering if the man had lost his mind. Anyone who would think that Merle could be in love had to have a screw loose.

Hershel erupted in laughter. "Yes, even Merle isn't immune to love. I'm more worried about you and Beth, though. And Tyler. It's not fair to the boy."

Daryl chose his words carefully. "I'm sorry if you think I have anything to do with Beth and Tyler, but they're none of my concern."

Hershel sighed. "You can try to fight it if you want to, but it's a losing battle. There's no reason for you to be miserable."

Having said what he came to say, he left Daryl to his thoughts. Curious now, he watched Merle helping Carol with various tasks. Just like Daryl, Merle had always been a loner, but now he seemed to be there every time Carol turned around. Daryl had thought his brother was avoiding him, but it seemed he had just found better company.

"Well, I'll be damned," Daryl said thoughtfully.

Still, just because Merle might want Carol didn't mean he was in love with her. Hershel was way off base on that. The thought of Merle being in love was just plain ridiculous. The man was certainly wrong about Daryl. In love! That would be the day.

He wasn't miserable without Beth. He was just fine, same as always.

Beth and Tyler were silhouetted behind the sheets hanging on the line to dry in the sun. The young man leaned in to give her a kiss, and Daryl turned away.


	10. The Truth

The Truth

All they had done so far was kiss. Daryl had been watching them, and he could now admit to himself that it did concern him. What did that mean? Had Hershel been right that he was in love with Beth? How did you know when you were in love?

Hershel had said that it was wonderful. Well if this was love, it sure didn't feel wonderful. In fact, he hadn't been this miserable since he was a kid, only this time there was nobody beating him up.

His life now revolved around what Beth was doing. He couldn't go to sleep until he was sure she was in for the night. What he was worried would happen between her and Tyler was something he didn't allow himself to dwell on. Daryl used his hunting skills to track the couple's movements. He no longer lied to himself that he was just making sure Beth was safe. It was easy to watch them, because they were out in the open under the stars embracing and kissing. She probably thought Tyler was romantic and all that bullshit.

Tonight they were different, and his hackles rose. They didn't greet each other with a kiss the way they usually did, but held hands and walked in silence across the prison yard. When Daryl realized they were headed for the RV, his heart started hammering and he felt sick to his stomach. Why hadn't Maggie and Glenn taken the RV instead of moving into their own cell block? Maybe Merle and Carol would be in there. He would be thrilled if his brother was in love if it meant Beth and Tyler had no place to be alone.

No such luck. They would have left the RV as soon as they entered if they had found another couple in there. Daryl crept up to the door and silently eased it open enough to look inside. Someone had lit a candle, and he could see Beth and Tyler kissing. It hit him like a punch in the gut, seeing her with another guy in what he had thought of as their special place. He couldn't make himself look away, even though he felt like he was going to die.

They were standing as they kissed, so Daryl saw when Tyler's hand moved to cup her breast. Beth pushed his hand away. He kept kissing her, and after awhile he tried again. She pushed his hand away a second time.

"What's wrong?" Tyler stroked her arm as he asked the question.

Beth stepped out of his arms. "I can't."

"Don't be scared. We'll take it slow and easy. I'll make you feel good just like I promised."

"No," Beth said. "I just can't."

"But you said that you wanted to," Tyler complained.

"I know, and I thought I could do it, but I can't. I'm sorry."

"You're just scared," Tyler insisted. "Let's just sit down and relax awhile until you feel comfortable." He gestured toward the bed.

"No. I have to go. I'm sorry." She turned to walk away.

"Hey! We just got here." He reached out toward her arm. "Let's just—"

"She said no!" Daryl thundered as he burst into the RV.

They both looked at him in shock. "Let her go!"

Tyler dropped her arm like it was on fire. "Hey man. I wasn't—"

"What are you doing here? Did you follow us?" Beth demanded.

Daryl stalked toward them. "Get out," he growled at Tyler.

"Who do you think you are? You can't order us around," Beth began, but Tyler was already making his escape.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Daryl shouted.

"It's none of your business what I do," Beth shot back.

"The hell it isn't!"

"We're not together. Remember?" she taunted him.

"You're mine," he said.

He could see that the angry remark she had been about to make had died on her lips. "What?"

"I said you're mine. Nobody else's but mine."

Her eyes searched his. "Are you saying that you want us to be together?"

"Your dad says I love you," he blurted.

"My dad says? What about you?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I've just been missing you something terrible, and I don't want to be without you no more."

She smiled. "That's good enough for now."

Notes:

I don't know about Beth, but I just couldn't string Tyler along anymore.

Thank you to everyone for all your reviews and encouragement. You guys have been amazing!


	11. The First Time

The First Time

This time he overheard them by chance. He was about to turn the corner of the building when he heard Beth talking to Tyler. He stopped to listen.

"I'm sorry, Tyler. I never meant to hurt you."

"You said you didn't have a boyfriend."

"He wouldn't admit to being my boyfriend, and we broke up. I really thought it was over."

"But now he wants you back." Tyler paused. "Do you love him?"

"Yes," Beth said without hesitation.

Daryl wasn't prepared for the emotions that overwhelmed him. His mother had been the only person in his life to ever say that she loved him, and she had died when he was just a kid. He turned and walked back the way he had come from so they could finish their conversation in private.

Later, he impulsively took her hand as they walked to dinner. She looked at him in surprise and then gave him one of her sunny smiles. They were greeted by complete silence from the group.

"Stop your gawking. We're together, so get used to it." He turned a hard stare on his brother, who was grinning like a fool. "You got something to say?"

"Be nice," Carol said.

"Ain't I always?" A look passed between them, and Carol was suddenly flustered, while Merle had an entirely different smile on his face.

Rick had tensed up and looked at Hershel, but he relaxed again when he saw that the man didn't seem disturbed by the news. Maggie smiled at them with tears in her eyes.

"Dude, way to man up!" Glenn exclaimed.

Carl looked confused as he glanced at Tyler, but the young man said nothing. Carl shrugged and turned his attention back to Sarah.

A few days later, Daryl decided to talk to Michone. He had picked her because she was female, and because he knew she wouldn't gossip about anything he said to her.

He dove right into it. "What's it like for a woman the first time she…" He looked at her helplessly. "I ain't never been with no virgin before."

"I see."

He looked at the ground. "I want it to be good for her," he mumbled, but she heard him.

He missed the look of admiration she gave him. By the time he looked up, her face was again a mask of indifference, because she knew that's what he would need to get through the strange conversation they were about to have. Milton passed by and glanced at them, but he didn't come over to interrupt their conversation. Michone allowed herself a small smile before she noticed Daryl's puzzled expression.

"Still waters," she said. "They do run deep."

So it was about a week later that he again ran over the steps in his mind. Make sure she's well lubricated. Mission accomplished, as she was soaking wet from the pleasure he had just finished giving her with his tongue. He lay next to Beth in the RV as she calmed down after her orgasm. Then he slowly got her excited again by caressing and kissing her body. He began to lick her again in the place only he had touched, but she pulled away from him.

"Daryl, as much as I love what you do to me, you're stalling."

"Maybe we should wait."

"Okay," Beth said. "We'll wait while I do this." She began to kiss his neck. "And this." She moved to kissing and licking his chest, making him moan in that way that turned her on so much.

When he felt her tongue on his stomach, he pulled her up into a fierce kiss. "Are you sure?"

She scrambled off the bed and found the condom in his pants pocket. "Yes, I'm sure." She handed him the condom and lay back on the bed while he opened it and put it on.

He positioned himself between her legs and gazed at her while he stroked her thigh.

"Yes, Daryl. I want you now." Her sultry voice convinced him.

He entered her in one swift thrust. She gasped in pain while he went completely still. He had been upset about this part. "Ain't there no way to do it without hurting her?"

"No," Michone had insisted. "You have to break the hymen, and it's better if you do it quickly. She'll feel a sharp pain, but then it will be over."

He waited for her to adjust to him before he slowly began to move. "Oh," she cried, but not in pain this time.

Being sheathed in her incredible tightness, he was glad he had listened to Michone and found his release earlier in the day so he could last longer now. Even so, it was an effort to hold back as Beth began to moan in pleasure beneath him. He found the rhythm that had her meeting his thrusts with abandon. When he felt her clench around him as she came, he couldn't hold back any longer.

After he pulled out of her, he disposed of the condom and went back to the bed to snuggle against her. "Are you okay?"

"Mmm," she purred. "Better than okay. How about you?"

He kissed her shoulder. "I love you." The words felt foreign on his tongue, but they sounded right.

She slowly turned to look at him. "Did you just say—"

"Yeah, I did. How about that?"

She squealed and kissed him. "I love you, too!"

It took him a minute to realize what he was feeling. It was happiness, and he thought that he could get used to it.

Notes:

So, I'm a sucker for happy endings after all. It's important here, since we're not likely to get that on the show. This is the end of the story. I've been obsessed with writing it, but now I have to get back to my housework before my family declares a mutiny.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your response to this story, both in views and reviews has been incredible. This may not seem like much, but it's the longest fanfic I have ever written, and it's all because of your encouragement.


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